Leucanthemum plant named ‘Doleuswedaso’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Leucanthemum  plant named ‘Doleuswedaso’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; strong and upright flowering stems; early and freely flowering habit; large single inflorescences with spoon-shaped white-colored ray florets and large central disc; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Leucanthemum maximum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOLEUSWEDASO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Leucanthemum plant, botanically known as Leucanthemum maximum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Doleuswedaso’.

The new Leucanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Leucanthemum plants with numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Leucanthemum plant originated from an open-pollination in June, 2014 of a proprietary selection of Leucanthemum maximum identified as code number LC13-000287-001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Leucanthemum maximum as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Leucanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in April, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Leucanthemum plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, since May, 2015 has shown that the unique features of this new Leucanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations;

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Leucanthemum have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Doleuswedaso’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Doleuswedaso’ as a new and distinct Leucanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Strong and upright flowering stems.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large single inflorescences with spoon-shaped white-colored         ray florets and large central disc.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Leucanthemum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Leucanthemum are more compact than plants         of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Leucanthemum are more freely branching than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Leucanthemum are more freely flowering than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Leucanthemum are         spoon-shaped whereas ray florets of plants of the female parent         selection are ligulate and not spoon-shaped.

Plants of the new Leucanthemum can be compared to plants of Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Victorian Secret’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,654. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Leucanthemum differ from plants of ‘Victorian Secret’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Leucanthemum are more compact than plants         of ‘Victorian Secret’.     -   2. Plants of the new Leucanthemum are more freely branching than         plants of ‘Victorian Secret’.     -   3. Plants of the new Leucanthemum have shorter leaves than         plants of ‘Victorian Secret’.     -   4. Plants of the new Leucanthemum have smaller inflorescences         than plants of ‘Victorian Secret’.     -   5. Plants of the new Leucanthemum are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Victorian Secret’.     -   6. Inflorescences of plants of the new Leucanthemum have fewer         ray florets and more disc florets than inflorescences of plants         of ‘Victorian Secret’.     -   7. Ray florets of plants of the new Leucanthemum are         spoon-shaped whereas ray florets of plants of ‘Victorian Secret’         are oblanceolate and not spoon-shaped.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Leucanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Leucanthemum plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Doleuswedaso’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 13-cm containers during the summer in an outdoor nursery in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Leucanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 22° C. and night temperatures averaged 17° C. Plants were pinched one time one week after planting and were three months old when the photograph as taken and four months old when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Leucanthemum maximum ‘Doleuswedaso’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Leucanthemum maximum identified as code number             LC13-000287-001, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Leucanthemum             maximum, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About twelve days at             temperatures about 26° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two weeks at             temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two             weeks at temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 16 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white to light brown in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching, medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact,             upright and mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit;             moderate growth rate; freely branching habit with about 15             primary branches each with about three secondary branches             developing per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 30 cm to 40 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 26 cm.         -   Branch description.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Strong.             Aspect: Erect to about 10° from vertical. Texture and             luster: Sparsely pubescent; semi-glossy. Color: Close to             138A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple; sessile.             Length: About 9.5 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm. Shape:             Oblanceolate to oblong. Apex: Rounded to acute. Base:             Rounded. Margin: Serrate. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Venation pattern:             Prominent midvein; reticulate. Color: Developing leaves,             upper surface: Close to 137A. Developing leaves, lower             surface: Close to 137C. Fully developed leaves, upper             surface: Slightly darker than 137A; venation, close to 137A.             Fully developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C;             venation, close to 137C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Single inflorescence form with spoon-shaped ray             florets and tubular disc florets; inflorescences held             upright on strong peduncles, inflorescences face mostly             upright; ray and disc florets develop acropetally on a             capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant, pleasant.         -   Flowering response.—Plants begin flowering about twelve             weeks after planting; plants flower naturally during June             and July in The Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about six to eight weeks on the plant;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit, about 35             inflorescences develop per plant during the flowering             season.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 3 cm to 4 cm. Disc diameter: About 2.2 cm.         -   Receptacles.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 2.2 cm.             Color: Close to 137D.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Shape: Flattened sphere. Color: Close to 137D.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 42 arranged             in a single whorl. Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 6 mm.             Shape: Spoon-shaped. Apex: Shallowly emarginate. Margin:             Entire; distally, slightly undulate. Aspect: Mostly             horizontal. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: When opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 155B; color does not change             with development. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 155D; color does not change with             development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 400 massed             at the center of the receptacle arranged in about twelve             whorls. Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape:             Fused tubular. Apex: Acute, five-pointed. Texture and             luster, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; somewhat             glossy. Color: When opening, inner surface: Close to 14B.             When opening, outer surface: Close to 144D. Fully opened,             inner surface: Close to 9B; color does not change with             development. Fully opened, outer surface: Close to 144D;             color does not change with development.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 52             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 7 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Fused.             Margin: Entire, membraneous. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; somewhat glossy. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 30 cm to 40 cm. Diameter: About             6 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to about 10° from             vertical. Texture and luster: Pubescent; matte. Color: Close             to 138A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Quantity per floret: Five per disc floret. Filament             length: About 1.5 mm. Filament color: Close to 3C. Anther             shape: Roughly rectangular. Anther length: About 2 mm.             Anther color: Close to 14B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen             color: Close to 17A. Gynoecium: Present on ray and disc             florets. Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About             4 mm. Stigma diameter: Close to 1.5 mm. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 12A. Style length: About             3.5 mm. Style color: Close to 154C. Ovary color: Close to             145C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Leucanthemum. -   Disease & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Leucanthemum     have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common     to Leucanthemum plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Leucanthemum have been     observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind and     rain, to tolerate temperatures ranging from −15° C. to 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Leucanthemum plant named ‘Doleuswedaso’ as illustrated and described. 